Dispensing container



Nov. 7, i967 F. v. HOFFMAN 3,351,415

DISPENS ING CONTAINER Filed April 5, 1965 INVENTOR HMA/ms V. #ow-wmv I ATM JM from/srs United States Patent O 3,351,415 DISPENSING CGNTAHNER Francis V. Hoffman, 1202 Sherman Ave., Madison, Wis. 53763 Filed Apr. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 445,513 9 Claims. (Ci. SOI- 137) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLQSURE Disclosed herein is a dispensing container, particularly adapted for use with a sauce or condiment, which has a container body, an interior cavity, and two concentric necks of different diameters with each neck provided with a closure or threaded cap. The outer cap has an aperture for dispensing contents and a spreader. The inner cap is removed when the container is in use but can be replaced to seal the container for storage. An annular lip on the inner side of the outer cover engages the inner neck to seal the space between the inner neck and outer cap.

This invention relates to containers, and more particularly to dispensing containers.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing container which is adapted t-o seal its contents, such as barbecue sauce, from the atmosphere during shipment and storage and the like, and which is also adapted to dispense said contents and reseal the container when desired. In the disclosed exemplary embodiments, the dispensing container generally includes a container body having an interior cavity for containing the material to be dispensed and having two neck portions. An inner closure is removably carried by one neck portion and an outer closure is removably carried by the other neck portion. When both closures are simultaneously carried by the respective neck portions, the container is effectively sealed for shipment and storage or the like.

The outer closure has an aperture which communicates with the cavity of said container when the inner closure is removed or interrupted. The outer closure also has means for sealing it with respect to the neck portion for the inner closure, to provide sealed communication between the cavity and the exterior through the aperture when the inner closure is removed. Thus upon removal of the inner closure and replacement of the outer closure, the container is adapted to dispense its contents. The inner closure can be thrown away or, if desired, saved for future replacement and resealing of the container.

Further objects, features and advantages will appear from the following disclosures in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan view, partially broken away and in section, of a dispensing container embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional View generally taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of part of the container shown in FIGURE 2 with parts thereof removed and broken away; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view with parts broken away and in section showing another form of the present invention.

Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specific structure. The scope of the invention is defined in the claims appended hereto.

A dispensing container embodying the present invention is broadly identified in the drawings by the numeral 1t) and generally comprises a container body 12 having an interior cavity 14 for containing material to be dispensed. Typically the container Will be formed of yieldable plastic in the shape and nature of a squeeze bottle. Body 12 has a first neck or neck portion 16, and a second neck or neck portion 18. While the container body 12 and the first and second neck portions 16 and 18 may have any number of different configurations, in the disclosed construction the container body 12 is of spherical configuration, and the first and second neck portions 16 and 18 are of cylindrical or circular configuration concentric with each other and with the center line of the container body 12. 4 The first neck 16 includes a first shoulder 26 which is located at the joinder of the first neck 16 to the container body 12 and which is perpendicularly related to the first neck 16. Neck 16 has threads 27. Second neck 18 has threads 28. Second shoulder 29 defines the joinder of the first and second necks 16 and 18, and shoulder 29 is perpendicularly related to the first and second necks 16 and 18. The second neck 18 defines the open end 30 of the container l() and has an annular end shoulder 32.

The second neck 13 is scalable by means of a removable inner closure or cap 34 carried by neck 18. In the embodiment of FIGURES 1-3, the inner closure or cap 34 has a flat top web 35 and cylindrical flange 36 having a cap end 37 and threads 38 complementary to threads 28 of second neck 18. When the cap 34 is threadedly engaged on the neck 18, the annular portion of the under surface of web 35 which is coextensive with end shoulder 32 engages end shoulder 32 to provide a seal for the container 10. The neck 18 issof sufficient length to allow the web 35' to engage end shoulder 32 before the cap end 37 engages the second shoulder 29. If the material of the cap 34 is not of sufficient yieldability to provide an efiicient r seal, a gasket or annular lip (not shown) of relatively yieldable material may be disposed on the underside of web 35 so as to engage the end shoulder 32 when the cap 34 is threadedly engaged on the neck 18.

The inner closure cap 34 is intended to be discarded after the consumer opens the container.

The first neck 16 carries a removable outer closure or cap 40 which is intended to remain on the container during use and is adapted to dispense the contents of the container 19. In the disclosed construction, the outer closure or cap 40 is optionally provided with a spreader 4l. The cap 40 has a flat web 42, and a cylindrical flange 44 having a cap end 4d and threads 4S complementary to the threads 27 of the neck 16. The web 42 has a container contents dispensing aperture 49. Means are provided on the cap 4t) for sealing it to` the end shoulder 32 of the second neck 18. In the preferred embodiment, such means comprises a gasket or annular lip 50 integrally provided on the undersurface of web 42 and aligned with the end or shoulder 32 of neck 18.

When inner closure 34 is removed, outer closure 4i) is screwed down far enough to engage lip 5G with end shoulder `32, as shown in FIGURE 3, thus to seal the closure 46 to the end of neck 18. Gasket or lip 50 may Ibe omitted if the cap material is suitable for effecting a seal to the shoulder 32, in which case the cap serves also as a gasket.

When the inner and outer closure caps 34 .and 40 are in place, the annular lip 5t) engages the web 35 of the inner closure cap 34 to pro-vide added means for tightly retaining cap 34 in place. When the .inner cap has been removed, the outer cap 45) can be screwed onto the neck 16 until the annular ring 50 engages the end shoulder 32 to afford sealed communication through the aperture 4% with the interior or cavity 14 of the container 1@ as shown in FIGURE 3. In this manner, the contents of container le can be dispensed through the aperture 49 with- 'In n.)

out flowing into the space between ange 44 of the closure cap 40 and the neck portion 18 and fouling the threads and producing an unsighly and unsanitary condition. The space between cap end 46 and first shoulder .26 is great enough to allow the ring 50 to sealingly engage the end shoulder 32 before the cap end 46 engages the fi-rst shoulder 26. After the inner cap 34 has been removed, it can be discarded or saved for replacement when desired to reseal the container 10.

The spreader 41 extends perpendicularly outwardly from top portion 42 of outer closure 40. The spreader 41 is useful for smearing or spreading on food stuff the material dispensed from container 10.

Shown in FIGURE 4 is an alternative construction of the upper portion `of a container 59 comprising first and second necks 69 and 62 respectively yhaving thereon threads 64 and 66 respectively. The second neck 62 includes the open end of the container defining an opening 67 and an end shoulder 68. An inner closure cap 69 of relatively thin material is removably carried by second neck 62 and includes threads 70 engaged with threads 66. A rounded outer closure cap 72 of relatively thin material is removably carried by the first neck 60. The cap 72 includes an integral shoulder portion 74, a dispensing aperture 76, a spreader 78 and threads 80 engaged with the threads 64 of the first neck 60. In the absence of lthe inner cap 69, t-he outer cap 72 can be screwed onto neck 60 so that the shoulder portion 74 engages the end shoulder 68 of neck 62 to provide sealed communication through the aperture 76 with the interior of the container.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been described and shown in the drawings, the invention is not limited to those shown.

In practice, the housewife will typically remove the outer closure, remove and disca-rd the inner closure and replace the outer closure, screwing it into sealing engagement with the end of neck 18. The container contents may then be periodically squeezed through disposing aperture 49 and optionally spread by spreader 41.

While it is anticipated that the inner closure will be removed during dispensing use of the container, an alternative procedure would be simply to interrupt it, parrt-icularly in any case where it consists of a thin rupturable membrane. In such a case, container contents can be dispensed through the interrupted inner closure and the dispensing aperture in the outer closure.

While the closures in the exemplary embodiments are threaded to the container neck portions, alternate or equivalent fastening means can be substituted, such as press or snap fit couplings.

Various of the features of the invention are set forth in the following claims:

1. A dispensing container comprising a container body defining a cavity and an open end and including a first and a second neck portion, said second neck portion including said open end, an inner closure carried by said second neck portion and an outer closure having an undersurface and an aperture, and a depending shoulder on said undersurface for sealing said open end with respect to said outer closure to provide sealed communication through said aperture with said cavity when said inner closure is removed.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said outer closure has a spreader.

3. A dispensing container comprising a container body defining a cavity and an open end and inclu-ding first and second neck portions, said second neck portion including said open end defining a shoulder, an inner closure removably carried by said second neck portion, and an outer closure having an undersurface, said closure being removably carried by said first neck portion, an aperture in said outer closure located above said open end and gasket means on one of said shoulder and said outer closure undersurface, said gasket means being spaced outwardly from said aperture for sealing contact with said shoulder in the absence of said inner closure.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said outer closure has an outwardly extending spreader.

5. A dispensing container comprising a body having a first neck portion including a first shoulder at the joinder of said first neck portion to said container body and a second neck portion extending from said first neck portion, an inner closure removably carried by said second neck portion, and an outer closure removably carried by said first neck portion and including an annular lip portion engaging said inner closure when said inner and outer closure are in place and engaging said shoulder in the absence of said inner closure and an aperture disposed Within the margins of said annular lip portion to provide sealed communication with said body when said inner closure is removed.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5 wherein said outer closure has an outwardly extending spreader.

7. A dispensing container comprising a container body, said container having a first circular neck including a first shoulder at the joinder of said first neck portion to said container body and a second circular neck concentric with and extending from said first neck, said second neck having an end shoulder and being of smaller diameter than said first neck and defining an open end of said container body, an inner closure cap threadedly carried by said second neck for sealing said open end, and an outer closure cap having an undersurface threadedly carried by said first neck including an aperture .and a depending shoulder on said undersurface which engages said end shoulder for sealing said outer closure cap with respect to said open end when said inner cap is removed for dispensing the contents of said container.

8. A device as set forth in claim 7 wherein said depending shoulder comprises an annular lip portion which engages said inner cap when said inner and outer caps are in place and engages said end shoulder when said inner cap is removed for dispensing the contents of said container.

9. A device as set forth in claim 8 wherein said aperture is disposed within the margins of said lip and said outer closure cap includes an outwardly extending spreader disposed relatively near said aperture.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,939,612 12/1933 Rose 15-565 3,016,561 1/1962 Hulsh 15-592 X 3,121,906 2/1964 Hulsh 15-592 3,133,308 5/1964 Claypool 15-565 3,147,512 9/1964 Gleason 15--592 X CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

E. L. ROBERTS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DISPENSING CONTAINER COMPRISING A CONTAINER BODY DEFINING A CAVITY AND AN OPEN END AND INCLUDING A FIRST AND A SECOND NECK PORTION, SAID SECOND NECK PORTION INCLUDING SAID OPEN END, AN INNER CLOSURE CARRIED BY SAID SECOND NECK PORTION AND AN OUTER CLOSURE HAVING AN UNDERSURFACE AND AN APERTURE, AND A DEPENDING SHOULDER ON SAID UNDERSURFACE FOR SEALING SAID OPEN END WITH RESPECT TO SAID OUTER CLOSURE TO PROVIDE SEALED COMMUNICATION THROUGH SAID APERTURE WITH SAID CAVITY WHEN SAID INNER CLOSURE IS REMOVED. 